Adverse Event Profile Comparable for Superficial Radiation, Surgery for Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 5, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- For nonmelanoma skin cancer, superficial radiation therapy (SRT) has an adverse event profile comparable to that reported for surgical treatments, according to a study published in the July issue of SKIN.Marshall Hall, D.O., M.P.H., from UNT Health at Fort Worth in Texas, and colleagues characterized adverse events associated with SRT, which is increasingly used as a nonsurgical treatment for nonmelanoma skin cancers. The retrospective review included patients treated with ultrasound-guided SRT for nonmelanoma skin cancer from December 2018 to July 2024.The researchers found that 10 adverse events (1.57 percent) occurred beyond expected reactions among 312 patients with 637 malignancies. Exclusive development of geometric Favre-Racouchot syndrome occurred in five current tobacco smokers. In three patients with a history of stasis dermatitis, lower-extremity ulceration occurred. Radiation recall and radiation-induced cutaneous lupus erythematosus occurred in association with one malignancy."This study reports adverse event rates similar to rates reported for surgical treatments of nonmelanoma skin cancer," the authors write. "Potentially, the rates of these adverse events may be further decreased by assessing individual patient risk factors."Abstract/Full Text

Adverse Event Profile Comparable for Superficial Radiation, Surgery for Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer

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